Braintree District Council sorts household waste into a grey bin for rubbish, a red-lidded bin for paper and card, a blue-lidded bin for mixed recycling and an outdoor caddy for food. A green bin takes garden waste on subscription. The council introduced its current service on 1 June and says it was part of the move to Simpler Recycling.
Last checked against 9 sources (www.braintree.gov.uk).
What goes in each bin
Grey bin for non-recyclable waste · General waste
Bin · Varies by area, so check your address
Yes please
Food pouches and coffee bags
Dirty, wet or greasy card or paper
Hard plastics
Nappies and sanitary products
Pet bedding, cat litter and pet faeces
Polystyrene packaging
Porcelain and ceramics
Tissues, napkins, wipes and used paper towel
Wallpaper
Not in this one
Bricks, rubble, bags of concrete, plasterboard and asbestos
Garden waste is a paid-for service. The garden waste subscription for 2026/27 is £55 and covers 12 months, from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. Each additional subscription costs £30.00. An additional or replacement bin costs £37.25, and a new bin must be bought for £37.25 where no initial bin is present at the property. You subscribe through the Waste Portal in My account, and subscribers can see their garden waste dates on their collection calendar. The council composts the waste in open windrows, which cannot process food waste, so keep the bin to garden material only.
Sign in to My account and open the Waste Portal, pick the missed bin on the calendar, choose Bin has not been emptied, then Report a collection issue. Before reporting, check the service updates page for disruption, confirm your bin was at the collection point by 7:00am, and check it was not too heavy, frozen, compacted or holding items the crew cannot take. Leave the container at its normal collection point. You can report a missed collection from 3pm on your collection day until 12 noon on the next working day. After that the council cannot guarantee a return visit.
The council's pages do not publish a fixed rhythm for any of the bins. Collection days and the bin that goes out each week are specific to your address, so use the council's Find your bin collection day tool or download your collection calendar.
Paper and card must stay clean and dry and go in the red-lidded bin loose, not in bags. Mixed recycling in the blue-lidded bin also goes in loose, and soft plastic such as film and carrier bags is accepted there, although crisp packets and food pouches belong in the grey bin.
The grey bin goes to an Energy from Waste facility. The council will only empty it with the lid shut and will not take extra bags on top of or beside the bin. Bins and boxes must be at the collection point by 7:00am on collection day.
Wholesale changes to collection days came with the new service, and engagement sessions were listed in Braintree town, Witham and Coggeshall in late September and early October. The council's page for 2026/27 also lists changes to collection days.
Communal properties and flats were not all on the new service when the council last updated its page. It said it was working with managing agents, landlords and housing associations to agree implementation dates, so a flat may still be on a different arrangement.
Food and drink cartons can also be taken to one of 14 carton banks, which include supermarket sites and some of the council's car parks. The recycling bank page lists them, including Earls Colne Village Hall and the station approach car park in Braintree.
Whether your property is on the standard or non-standard waste collection service is shown in the Waste Management Portal under My account. Assisted collections are offered where residents cannot move their bins because of age, disability or other circumstances.
Bin questions in Braintree
What colour bins does Braintree use?
Braintree uses a grey bin for non-recyclable waste, a red-lidded bin for paper and card, a blue-lidded bin for mixed recycling, an outdoor food caddy and a green garden waste bin for subscribers.
How much does garden waste cost in Braintree?
The 2026/27 subscription is £55 for 12 months from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. Each additional subscription is £30.00, and an additional or replacement bin costs £37.25.
How do I report a missed bin in Braintree?
Report it in the Waste Portal after signing in to My account. You can do this from 3pm on the collection day until 12 noon on the next working day, and the bin should stay at its normal collection point.
Where can I recycle food and drink cartons in Braintree?
Cartons go in the blue-lidded bin. The council also runs 14 carton banks, including supermarket sites and some of its car parks, and its contractor takes them to a dedicated carton recycling facility in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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